Facts and Alternative Realities

(...) simply insisted we prove that the Queen didn’t do it—that is, demanding a refutation of wild speculation to prove fact, rather than seeking out the evidence first. This proof-by-negation is akin to fastidiously believing in the tooth fairy simply because no one has seen proof that the tooth fairy doesn’t exist. That is noxious thinking—and, (...), it’s exactly the kind of aggressive, close-minded speculation that fuels fake news, Trumpian rhetoric, and political divisions.

Treble, Patricia. When it Comes to The Queen and Donald Trump, The Facts Still Matter. Toronto (Canada): Maclean's, 2018

This post isn’t about politics, it’s about how easy it is to fall in the fallacy of proving something didn’t happen by negating it. It’s about how tiresome it can be to always fact check, proving through facts what is reality and what is fiction. It’s about avoiding a dark universe of alternative realities that enclose you in an existence of self-feeding bigotry. Of believing your feelings are facts, are reality.